Sales@VetteEssentials.com 248-852-9030 (Office) 248-396-4173 (Cell) 1810 Star Batt Dr Rochester Hills, MI 48309 www.vetteessentials.com

We are pleased to provide for you our installation instructions for Vette Essentials' custom automatic tranny shift boot and shift knob. We also invite you to review the many other products offered by Vette Essentials, including other custom leather products, as shown on our website: www.vetteessentials.com. Enjoy!

Disclaimers, etc.

1. The following are one set of steps that you may use to install the Vette Essentials' automatic tranny shift boot and/or shift knob on a C5 Corvette. Alternatives may exist.
2. Use these instructions at your own risk and be careful not to damage your new or existing parts.
3. This entire shift boot and knob install will likely take on the order of an hour and a half.
4. Neither Vette Essentials nor anyone affiliated with it or the formation of these instructions takes any responsibility for the results or effects achieved by following these instructions.

Specific core information for this project

Printing these instructions

Viewing larger pictures

Let's get started

Here's our tools, from left to right: needle nose pliers wire cutters or suitable tool to cut a plastic zip tie very tiny flat blade screwdriver -- may not be necessary if you can get by with slightly larger flat blade screwdriver tiny flat blade screwdriver medium flat blade screwdriver size 15 torx screwdriver 10mm socket -- shallow or deep socket extension for convenience of use with 10mm socket (also shown with 1/4 to 3/8" inch converter which is only necessary if you are using a socket wrench with a different size drive than the 10mm socket) socket wrench for use with 10mm socket rubber mallet or other suitable soft or light headed hammer -- might not be necessary
Step 1: The basic stock shift boot and shift knob. Say goodbye, as soon they will be much nicer looking!
Convertible owners only. PRIOR TO removing the console, you will have to remove your "waterfall." To do this, there are a total of four size 15 torx screws holding the waterfall in place. Two of these are along the top, and there is one screw on each of the two sides. Due to the perspective of the photo, only three screws can be seen, but as indicated there is a fourth on the side of the waterfall that is not shown. Using the size 15 torx screwdriver, remove the four screws; next, pull directly upward on the waterfall and it will lift out of the car.
Step 2a: Console removal. Open the console and toward the rear end there are two plastic oval-shaped covers; these each cover a 10mm nut below the cover. Using the tiny screwdriver, gently pry the covers off to reveal the 10mm nuts that are shown below in step 2b.
Step 2b: Using the 10mm socket and wrench, remove the two 10mm nuts that were exposed in step 2a and that are shown here.
Step 2c: The trim plate that includes the Active Handling (A/H) button (and depending on year and options, it also may include the passenger air bag indicator and/or the suspension setting knob) is force fitted down. Using the tiny flat blade screwdriver, gently pry the A/H trim plate upward. You can protect the bottom pry surface with a cloth to avoid scratches. Also, after you pry slightly in one spot, you can move the screwdriver to other indicated pry spots and pry upward so as to distribute the force along the entire panel. Once the panel unclips, however, be aware that there is one or more electrical plugs still connected to its underside so do not pull it too abruptly away from the console.
Step 2d: Disconnect the one or more electrical plugs underneath the A/H trim plate that was lifted upward in step 2c. This photo shows a pre-2001 Vette with only the A/H plug. Disconnect it by pressing down on the indicated tab and pulling the plug away from the A/H trim plate. If you have a 2001 or newer car and would like instructions on removing the air bag indicator plug, then see the next two steps 2d.1 and 2d.2. Otherwise, store the A/H trim plate in a safe place and proceed to step 2e.
Step 2d.1: Disconnect the passenger air bag indicator plug. To do so, first grab the metal clip shown in the photo and pull it away from the A/H trim plate until the metal clip releases from the plate. Continue now to step 2d.2.
Step 2d.2: Continuing with the passenger air bag indicator, the photo demonstrates that the plug is held in place by a tab that is on top of a retainer. Lift the tab with the tiny screwdriver so that it clears the height of the retainer, while at the same time pulling the male and female portions of the plug apart. Store the A/H trim plate in a safe place.
Step 2e: With the A/H trim plate from steps 2c and 2d removed, you now see two additional 10mm nuts. Using the socket and wrench, remove these two additional 10mm nuts. Also shown is the plug for the accessory power outlet. Use the tiny or very tiny screwdriver to press down on the indicated tab, and at the same time pull the electrical plug away from the back of the accessory power outlet. Finally, just for illustration, note that the photo also shows the A/H plug that was disconnected above in step 2d.
Step 2f: The console should now be free from any mechanical attachment, but there is still an electrical plug for the button inside the console that releases the fuel cap door; this connection is on the underside and toward the front of the console. So, gently lift the console upward and toward the rear of the car so that you can access the electrical plug for the fuel door release. The photo illustrates this electrical plug. Lift the indicated tab (with a fingernail or the tiny flat blade screwdriver) and at the same time pull the female plug away from the console.
Step 2g: The console should now be free from any physical attachment. So, lift the console upward and toward the rear of the car and store it in a safe place. The photo illustrates the area from where the console has been removed.
Step 3a: Instrument trim panel removal. The instrument trim panel is the piece that runs from the console toward and around the air conditioning and radio controls, as also labeled below in the photo for step 3d. There are three size 15 torx screws that retain the instrument trim panel in place. Two are behind the ash tray/cigarette lighter door, as shown in the photo. You will see the first one as soon as you open the ash tray/cigarette lighter door. To access the second one, simply pull the plastic ash tray out from the right side of the area next to the cigarette lighter. Note that the ash tray has its own separate door, and you may have to close it slightly while removing the ash tray so that its door clears the larger door that covers both the ash tray and the cigarette lighter. Using the size 15 torx screwdriver, remove these two size 15 torx screws.
Step 3b: The third size 15 torx screw is behind the little grill that is next to the ignition switch. Using the tiny flat blade screwdriver, and the cloth for scratch protection, gently pull the screwdriver away from the dash which will also pull the grill away. As shown in the photo, use only the tip of the flat blade screwdriver and pry from the bottom of the grill as shown -- this way you do not risk touching the element behind the grill with the screwdriver tip.
Step 3c: The photo illustrates the third size 15 torx screw that is visible once the grill from step 3b is removed, and this third torx screw is all that is left retaining the instrument trim panel in place. Using the size 15 torx screwdriver, remove this size 15 torx screw.
Step 3d: It is time to move the instrument trim panel several inches, but not all the way, toward the back of the car. To make that easier you'll want to take various steps. (1) take your ignition key off any key chain you have so you end up with the ignition key alone; (2) engage the parking brake; (3) put the ignition key in the ignition and turn it to the on, NOT START, position; (4) step on the brake; (5) put the car in low gear; and (6) turn the key back as far as it will go toward the off position. The photo shows the engaged parking brake and the gear shift in its lowest position, and it also labels the instrument trim panel in various locations. Once you have performed all of the suggestions in this step, the trim panel should pull toward the rear of the car. Because you should only have a single key in the ignition, the portion of the trim panel that surrounds the ignition should easily clear the single key, and the remainder of the instrument trim panel should lift toward the rear of the car. Finally, however, note that the cigarette lighter still has an electrical plug connected to the back of it, so only pull the panel back about 6 to 12 inches so you have access to the electrical connection. Removal of this connection is described in step 3e, below.
Step 3e: The photo illustrates one of the two tabs that hold the gray electrical connector to the chrome back of the cigarette lighter, with it understood and also indicated by a second white line that there is also a second of the same kind of tab on the opposite side of the lighter that is not viewable from the perspective shown. Using your fingers or the tiny screwdriver, pry upward on each tab and at the same time pull the gray connector toward the front of the car and away from the back of the cigarette lighter. See also the photo in the next step 3f to further illustrate your goal.
Step 3f, just an illustration, no action needed: The photo illustrates the gray electrical connector after it is removed from the chrome back of the cigarette lighter.
Step 4a: Stock shift knob removal. At the bottom of the shift knob and facing the front of the car, there is what is effectively a sturdy staple that retains the stock shift knob in place. The legs of the staple are about 3/4 inch long. Using the tiny screwdriver, gently pry out and remove the staple. The staple should come out with moderate force or less, and once it is partially out you can pull it out with your fingers or the needle nose pliers. The room to pry under the staple is so slight that you may not be able to use a protective cloth. The head of the staple is shown in the photo, and note that the photo is taken from the front of the car looking downward.
Step 4b: Once the staple from step 4a is removed, the automatic shift knob simply slides off by lifting it upward. Store the shift knob in a safe place since you most likely are sending it back to Vette Essentials as a core.	No photo is shown for this obvious step.
Step 5a: Shift boot removal. Work your fingers around the entire bottom perimeter of the stock shift boot, lifting the perimeter upward as you go so as to achieve the result shown in the photo. There is an elastic band sewn inside the bottom seam so you will have to pull slightly outward to lift the edges up in this fashion.
Step 5b: There are two tabs that are now holding the shift boot down. Be careful not to break either of these tabs as they are required to be in workable condition to return this item as a core to Vette Essentials. If looking at the shifter from the driver's seat and with the shifter shaft at the center of an imaginary clock, one tab is at approximately 11 o'clock and is shown in the photo, that is, it is toward the front of the car just left of the center line of the shifter. There are two hooks holding the tab in place. Using the tiny and medium flat blade screwdrivers, at the same time pry the two hooks outward and away from the tab. Also at the same time, pull upward underneath the tab and it will release from under the hooks. You will have to use mild force because there is also a force fit described below, but at this point only lift an inch or so because there is still the second tab described in step 5c, below.
Step 5c: The second tab is shown in the photo, and relative to the tab shown in step 5b, the step 5c tab is located at approximately 7 o'clock (i.e., to the left of the shifter and toward the rear of the car). The tab and hook arrangement is the same physically as in step 5b, so use the same two-screwdriver process to disengage the two hooks while lifting upward on the tab. Once the second tab is free from the hooks, the shift boot should lift upward off its base, while the top of the shift boot will remain attached to the shifter shaft. While pulling upward, there will be some resistance near the gear indicator, sometimes referred to as a "prendle" because it shows the letters/gears PRNDL in some cars (PRND321 in the Vette). This resistance occurs because there is a rubber fitting attached to the boot, and the fitting has grooves that are force fitted into teeth along both sides of the prendle. The rubber fitting and its grooves are illustrated in the photo in step 5d, below. Just a mild tug will release this force fit. Also, if your prendle pulls upward while you are lifting the boot, then just push the prendle back down into its groove fitting.
Step 5d, just an illustration, no action needed: The photo illustrates the boot lifted fully upward. It is now retained in place only by a factory-installed zip tie, as labeled in the photo. Note the orientation of the seam of the factory boot which is shown by the wide black lines upward from the shifter shaft at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. This is the same general position at which you'll attach the new shifter boot, although it need not be perfect because it can be rotated after it is initially attached to the shaft. Note also that the factory boot extends downward along the shifter shaft about 1/8 to 1/4 inch below the black zip tie.
Step 5e: Here is a close-up of the factory-installed black zip tie. Using the wire cutters or other appropriate cutting device, cut and discard the factory zip tie. At this point, remove the factory shift boot by simply pulling it upward off of the shifter shaft. Store the factory shift boot in a safe place since you most likely are sending it back to Vette Essentials as a core.
Step 5f, just an illustration, no action needed: The photo illustrates the shifter shaft once the boot is removed. Note the location of the zip tie groove. This is where the factory zip tie was aligned, and it is where you will locate the new zip tie provided by Vette Essentials.
Step 6a: New boot installation. Turn the new boot inside out, and place only the small end of the boot on the shifter shaft as shown in the photo. Move the boot downward until it covers the zip tie groove shown in step 5f. Then, take one of the zip ties provided by Vette Essentials and tighten it to align in the now-covered groove. Make sure the end of the Vette Essentials' boot that is on the shaft does not extend too far below the zip tie. Pull the zip tie as tight as you can with your hands, and then use the needle nose pliers to pull it even tighter. If the zip tie breaks while tightening it, no problem, Vette Essentials will have provided you one or two extras. Finally, trim the end of the zip tie off using the wire cutters, with the trimmed result shown in the photo.
Step 6b: The new boot has visible elastic around the perimeter of its widest portion (i.e., the portion that will be the bottom once the boot is fully installed). Fold that widest portion downward and prepare to engage the rubber fitting around the prendle. Recall from steps 5c and 5d that the rubber fitting has grooves in it, and they force fit with teeth on both sides of the prendle. These teeth are shown here in the photo. Looking again at the grooves on the rubber fitting, you'll notice they are in sets of three grooves, where each center groove in a set is to align with a tooth next to the prendle So, align the center groove in each set on the rubber fitting with a tooth and push downward around the entire perimeter of the rubber fitting. See step 6c, below, for another illustration.
Step 6c, just an illustration, no action needed: The photo illustrates the rubber fitting once it is fully pushed downward on top of the prendle.
Step 6d: Snap the two tabs from steps 5b and 5c back into place. The photo illustrates the tab at 11 o'clock from step 5b, and don't forget to do the same snap fit for the tab at 7 o'clock shown in step 5c. Indeed, you may note that in Step 6c the tab at 7 o'clock is shown and has been snapped down between its retaining hooks.
Step 6e: Wrap the bottom of the new boot, with its elastic, around the entire perimeter of the shifter base. The photo also illustrates grooves on opposite sides (3 o'clock and 9 o'clock) in the shifter shaft for use in discussion of the shift knob installation in step 7, below.
Step 7: Shift knob installation. Slide the new knob onto the top of the shifter shaft and align it and push it downward so that the staple hole points toward the front of the car in the same fashion as shown earlier in step 4a. Insert the staple by hand. The photo illustrates the staple once it has been inserted to an extent of roughly 20 percent. As you are inserting the staple and applying force toward the rear of the car, you should be able to feel the staple align with the grooves in the shaft, where those grooves are illustrated in step 6e. Once you have the staple aligned with the grooves, the staple should go in approximately 80 percent with only mild force and, indeed, it may go in all the way in which case you are done with this step. If the staple stops at about 80 to 90 percent of full installation, this is because the tips of the legs are not fully seated inside the shift knob. Only if you have gotten the staple to this 80 to 90 percent level and are still having difficulty pushing it the rest of the way, then take the rubber mallet or light headed hammer and tap the staple the rest of the way in -- while doing this, use the palm of your hand against the opposite side of the shift knob so that your hand absorbs the shock of the hammering rather than letting the force be used against the shifter. Indeed, you might put the shifter in gear 2 or 3 and then put your hand on the back of the shifter knob so that when you are hammering you are not forcing the shaft too far against its lowest position. If you cannot get the staple to the 80 to 90 percent mark, then you may need to pull it out and straighten each of its legs with the needle nose pliers, then repeat the just-described process to fully insert it.
Steps 8 and 9: Now in reverse order perform steps 3 and 2, thereby first re-installing the instrument trim panel followed by the console and A/H trim plate. Once everything is in place, be sure to re-check all your electrical devices to ensure you properly re-connected any electrical plugs. See the previous photos from those steps in reverse order to accomplish the re-installation of those components.	See the photos above for steps 3 and 2.
Step 10: Stop and admire your work. Next, ask yourself what else you need from Vette Essentials to further enhance your Vette!!